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MESSAGE 

OF 

MAYOR  JOHN  CORSCOT, 

DELIVERED  TO  THE 

COMMON  COUNCIL  OF  THE  CITY  OF  MADISON, 


April  18,  1893. 


MAYORS  MESSAGE. 


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Gentlemen  of  the  Common  Council: 


In  assuming  the  control  and  management  of  any  busi¬ 
ness  enterprise  it  is  a  well  settled  principle  to  take  into 
consideration  its  resources  and  liabilities  for  the  purpose 
of  ascertaining  how  far  that  business  may  be  safely  ex¬ 
tended.  This  principle  should  prevail  in  the  management 
of  municipal  affairs,  and  in  order  that  we  may  know  what 
money  we  have  to  apply  to  the  necessary  running  expenses 
of  the  city  government,  and  what  for  street  and  other  im¬ 
provements,  the  clerk  has  carefully  prepared  the  annexed 
financial  statement: 


The  funds  in  the  treasury  April  10,  1892,  as  set  forth  in 
the  mayor’s  inaugural  address,  one  year  ago,  were  as  fol¬ 
lows: 


Poll  tax  fund .  $86  00 

Interest  on  refunding  bonds .  7,625  00 

Interest  on  water  bonds . 2,675  00 

Bond  fund . 21,728  70 

Forest  Hill  cemetery  fund .  2,702  81 

Free  library  fund .  3,800  38 

Special  sidewalk  fund .  228  09 

Special  sewer  tax .  3  00 

Water  fund .  12,419  59 

Special  street  funds .  1,323  68 

General  fund . 21,124  26 


Total  .  $73,716  51 

The  receipts  from  all  sources  from  April  10, 1892,  to  April 
10,  1893,  inclusive,  have  been  as  follows: 

General  Fund  Receipts. 


Liquor  licenses .  $15,320  00 

Fines  in  city  cases . 73  00 

Show  licenses .  257  00 

Hack  licenses .  160  00 

Court  costs  in  city  cases .  165  18 


Billiard  licences .  $480  80 

Steamboat  licenses .  85  00 

Licenses  to  sell  on  streets .  76  00 

Auction  license . 5  00 

Drainlayers’  licenses .  40  00 

Tax  for  general  city  purposes . 39,822  04 

Fees  on  taxes .  583  42 

Special  sidewalk  tax . 229  50 

Sewer  permits .  65  00 

J.  Led  with  for  old  iron .  2  50 

F.  F.  F.  laundrjT,  by  St.  Supt.  Chandler . .  2  50 

D.  Stephens  for  Carroll  street  gutters .  3  75 

D.  Stephens  for  stone  for  street  railway .  492  09 

D.  Stephens  for  weighing  stone .  76  35 

M.  Hinrichs,  street  superintendent,  dirt  sold .  48  00 

A.  Kinnair,  payment  quarry  contract .  675  00 

N.  Quinn,  use  steam  roller .  90  00 

General  Electric  Co.,  by  M.  Hinrichs,  crossings .  70  30 


Total .  $58,822  43 


Special  Fund  Receipts. 

Poll  tax  with  tax  1892 .  $85  00 

Interest  on  refunding  bonds,  tax  1892 .  7,625  00 

Interest  on  water  bonds,  tax  1892 .  1,600  00 

Bond  fund,  tax  1892 .  3,432  27 

Dane  county,  fines  in  state  cases .  451  00 

Dane  county,  state  and  county  taxes .  41,213  09 

Forest  Hill  cemetery  fund,  tax .  500  00 

Forest  Hill  cemetery  fund,  sale  of  lots .  1,313  49 

Forest  Hill  cemetery  fund,  wood  sold . 45  70 

Free  library  fund,  tax  .  2,500  00 

Free  library  fund,  fines  and  dues .  70  00 

Water  fund,  tax  1892 . 5,000  00 

Water  fund,  water  rents .  14,907  37 

Water  fund,  water  permits .  284  00 

Water  fund,  supplies  sold .  89  20 

Board  of  education,  tax  1892 .  34,245  74 

Sewer  tax  1892  2,153  13 

Langdon  street  improvement  fund,  tax  -1892 .  75  30 

Carroll  street  improvement  fund,  tax  1892 .  475  60 

Gilman  street  improvement  fund,  tax  1892 .  822  56 

East  Gorham  street  improvement  fund,  tax  1892 .  634  81 

West  Gorham  street  improvement  fund,  tax  1892 .  768  66 

State  street  improvement  fund,  tax  and  bonds  .  5,610  83 

Pinckney  street  improvement  fund  tax .  287  53 

South  Carroll  street  improvement  fund  tax .  69  87 

Butler  street  improvement  fund,  tax  and  bonds .  2,929  85 

Murray  street  improvement  fund,  tax  and  bonds .  1,254  41 

Lake  street  improvement  fund,  tax  and  bonds  .  3,514  24 

Wilson  street  improvement  fund  bonds.  . .  10,000  00 

Francis  street  improvement  fund  bonds . 2,000  00 


Total. ...  . .  $143,958  65 


3 


The  expenditures  from  April  10,  1892,  to  April  10,  1893 
have  been  as  follows : 


General  Fund  Expenditures. 


Care  and  subsistance  city  teams,  drivers’  pay,  etc .  $2,212  03 

Street  lighting :  Electric  light,  $5,541.98;  Gas,  $2,201.28; 

Oil  lamps,  $883.12  .  8,086  38 

Crushed  stone  for  general  street  improvements  . .  7,787  85 

Iron  bridge  on  Sherman  avenue .  2,530  00 

Stone  abutments  for  same .  1,800  87 

Salary,  surveyor,  $1,000;  street  superintendent,  $840  .  1,840  00 

Expenses  for  labor,  material,  etc.,  in  improving  and  re¬ 
pairing  and  cleaning  streets,  cross-walks,  etc .  18,509  48 

Printing . 860  70 

Expenses  at  city  hall  —  janitor,  fuel,  light,  etc .  1,709  45 

Expenses  prosecutions  under  city  ordinances,  judge’s  and 

court  clerk’s  salaries,  etc .  2,174  54 

City  clerk’s  salary  .  1,200  00 

Legal  expenses — city  attorney’s  salary,  etc .  617  20 

One  thousand  six  hundred  feet  rubber  hose  for  fire  depart¬ 
ment  . 1,600  00 

Expenses  assessment  and  collection  taxes .  1,146  74 

Election  expenses . . .  1,497  74 

Pound  expenses .  371  25 

Costs  in  suits  . . 143  00 

Decorating  city  for  G..  A.  R.  reunion .  250  00 

Appropriation  to  city  hospital  committee . 244  83 

Steamboat  inspection  and  weed  commissioner .  78  50 

Expenses  fire  department .  4,305  24 

Refunded  taxes .  20  40 

Police  expenses .  4,397  10 

Treasurer’s  salary .  1,200  00 

Health  expenses .  2,645  87 

Abating  nuisances .  41  65 

Repair  engine-houses .  40  90 

Sewer  repairs .  60  70 


Total .  $68,033  02 


Special  Fund  Expenditures. 


Water- works,  construction  expenses. 
Water- works,  operating  expenses. . . . 

Water- works,  repairs . 

Interest  on  water  bonds . 

Interest  on  refunding  bonds . 

Water  bonds  paid . 

Dane  county,  state  and  county  taxes. 

Forest  Hill  cemetery  fund . 

Paid  sidewalk  and  gutter  contractors 

Free  library,  vouchers  paid . 

Board  of  education . 


$13,967  23 
11,284  14 
21  40 
2,675  00 
7,625  00 
21,500  00 
41,213  09 
1,222  23 
260  93 
2,092  65 
34,245  74 


4 


Paid  sewer  contractors . 

Carroll  street  improvement  fund,  bonds  and  interest  paid.  . 

Gilman  street  improvement,  interest  paid . 

East  Gorham  street  improvement  fund,  interest  paid . 

West  Gorham  street  improvement  fund,  interest,  etc.,  paid 

State  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor . 

Pinckney  street  improvement  fund,  interest  paid . 

South  Carroll  street  improvement  fund,  interest  paid . 

Butler  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor . 

Murray  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor . 

Lake  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor . 

Wilson  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor . 

Francis  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor . 

West  Johnson  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor. . . 
East  Johnson  street  improvement  fund,  paid  contractor. . . 

Total . 


Recapitulation. 


Balance  on  hand  April  10,  1892 

General  fund  receipts . 

Special  fund  receipts . 

General  fund  expenditures. . . . 
Special  fund  expenditures.  .  . . 
Balance  April  10,  1893 . 


$73,716  51 
58,822  43 
143,958  65 


$276,497  59 


There  was  transferred  during  the  year: 

From  the  water  fund  to  the  bond  fund . . 

From  the  poll  tax  fund  to  the  general  fund . 


The  funds  in  the  treasury  April  10,  1893, 
stated,  were  $48,795.50,  and  classified  as  follows: 

Poll-tax  fund .  ... 

Interest  on  refunding  bonds . . 

Interest  on  water  bonds . . 

Bond  fund . 

Dane  county  —  fines . 

Forest  Hill  Cemetery  fund . 

Free  Library  fund . . 

Special  sidewalk  fund . 

Water  fund . 

Special  street  funds . 

General  fund . 

Total . 


$2,282  48 
270  34 
91  20 
62  00 
182  80 
4,868  15 
28  00 
8  00 
2,118  71 
1,053  45 
3,215  84 

5.288  35 
2,026  30 

777  19 

1.288  76 


$159,668  98 


$68,033  02 
159,668  98 
48,795  59 


$276,497  59 


$5,000  00 
86  00 


as  above 


$85  00 
7,d25  00 
1,600  00 
8,660  97 
451  00 
3,339  77 
4,277  73 
88  47 
2,427  39 
8,122  33 
12,117  93 


$48,795  59 


This  balance  of  $12,117.93  in  the  general  fund,  it  is  esti¬ 
mated,  will  be  increased  prior  to  the  next  tax  levy  by  the 
following  receipts: 


From  liquor  licenses . $14,600  00 

From  show  licenses..  . .  150  00 

Hack  licenses .  100  00 

Billiard  licenses .  300  00 

Steamboat  licenses .  75  00 


Total .  $15,225  00 


Making  the  total  available  for  general  city  pur¬ 
poses . .  $27,342  93 

Deducting  from  this  sum  the  monthly  ex¬ 
penses  for  March . , .  $5,261  09 

And  the  expenses  for  the  first  three  weeks  of 

April,  estimated  at .  2,425  00  7,686  09 


Leaves  a  balance  available  for  city  purposes  of  $19,656  84 


The  estimated  annual  expenses  of  the  city  government, 
outside  of  purchases  or  other  improvements,  are  as  fol¬ 
lows  : 


Salary  of  clerk,  treasurer,  attorney,  assessor,  street  super¬ 
intendent  and  surveyor .  $6,500  00 

Street  lighting . 9,500  00 

Fire  department  expenses,  pay  of  officers  and  men .  4,300  00 

Care  and  subsistence  of  city  teams  '. .  2,200  00 

Printing .  800  00 

Expenses  city  hall,  janitor,  light,  fuel,  etc .  1,800  00 

Prosecutions  under  city  ordinances,  judge’s  and  clerk’s  sal¬ 
aries,  officers’  fees,  board  of  prisoners,  etc .  2,200  00 

Election  expenses .  800  00 

Pound  expenses  and  abating  nuisances  .  400  00 

Police  expenses .  4,400  00 

Health  expenses  and  city  hospital  .  2,800  00 

Expenses  of  board  of  review .  90  00 

Steamboat  inspection .  50  00 


Total .  $35,840  00 


It  appears,  therefore,  that  about  $3,000  per  month  is  re¬ 
quired  to  meet  the  running  expenses  of  the  city,  or  about 
$21,000  during  the  seven  months  before  the  next  tax  be¬ 
comes  available. 


6 


The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  city  on  the  1st  day  of 
April,  1893,  was  as  follows: 


Board  of  education  —  bonds  and  notes .  $17,000  00 

Watertown  Railroad  bond  (outlawed) .  1,000  00 

Water  bonds .  32,000  00 

Refunding  bonds .  152,500  00 

Special  street  improvement  bonds .  36,200  00 


Total .  $238,700  00 


On  said  1st  day  of  April  there  wasdeposited  in  the-State 
Bank  of  this  city  by  the  city  treasurer  $8,500  of  the  money 
in  the  sinking  fund  in  payment  of  called  water  bonds,  and 
special  street  improvement  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $1,700 
were  also  taken  up,  paid  and  canceled  on  that  date,  making 
a  total  reduction  in  the  bonded  debt  as  given  in  the  above 
statement  of  $10,200. 

From  the  foregoing  statement  it  appears  that  the  whole 
amount  available  for  general  city  purposes  prior  to  the  next 
tax  levy  is  $19,656.84,  and  that  the  fixed  charges  or  run¬ 
ning  expenses  which  must  be  paid  out  of  this  amount  are 
$21,000,  and  that  no  money  whatever  is  left  that  can  be  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  general  improvement  of  the  principal  thorough¬ 
fares,  which  since  the  construction  of  the  street-car  line 
need  so  much  repair  and  improvement. 

In  order  that  the  condition  of  affairs  mav  be  better  un- 
derstood,  a  comparative  statement  of  the  amount  of  money 
in  the  treasury  applicable  to  street  or  other  improvements 
at  the  beginning  of  every  administration  for  the  past  seven 
vears  is  given ; 

t  Cj 


In  1887  there  wTas  the  sum  of .  $12,644  06 

In  1888  there  wras  the  sum  of .  6.586  15 

In  1889  there  was  the  sum  of .  9,902  72 

In  1890  there  was  the  sum  of .  000  00 

In  1891  there  was  the  sum  of .  11,334  08 

In  1892  there  was  the  sum  of .  7,724  26 


In  1893  we  lack  the  sum  of  $1,344.16  of  having  enough 
to  pay  the  city’s  running  expenses  until  the  next  tax  is 
available. 


7 


From  these  figures  it  appears  that  the  nearest  approach 
to  the  present  financial  outlook  was  at  the  beginning  of 
the  administration  of  1890,  when  the  funds  for  streets  and 
other  purposes  were  entirely  expended.  That  administra¬ 
tion,  like  ourselves,  was  unfortunate  at  the  outset,  but  some 
relief  came  to  them  through  the  sale  of  the  hospital  lots. 
This  council  has  no  real  estate  that  ought  to  be  sold,  and 
unless  funds  can  be  provided  in  some  other  way,  many  ur¬ 
gent  street  improvements  must  wait  till  another  year. 

In  connection  with  the  financial  affairs  of  the  city  atten¬ 
tion  is  called  to  the  fact  that  the  following  suits  for  dam¬ 
ages  are  now  awaiting  determination: 

“  o 


Henry  Laue  claim .  $5,000  00 

(Judgment  for  $2,000  appealed  to  supreme  court.) 

Geo.  C.  Kollock  claim  (in  circuit  court) .  15,000  00 

Marcia  Reed  claim  (in  circuit  court) .  .  10,000  00 

Albert  Sperling  claim  (in  circuit  court) .  5,000  00 

O.  M.  Twitched  claim  (in  circuit  court) .  1,500  00 


Total . $36,500  00 


Street  paving  at  private  expense  was  begun  in  this  ci,ty 
in  1886,  and  has  been  continued  with  more  or  less  vigor 
since  then,  until  now  many  of  the  residence  streets  are 
paved,  others  soon  will  be,  and  not  a  few  of  our  public- 
spirited  citizens  have  the  subject  of  street  paving  in  front 
of  their  premises  under  consideration. 

In  this  connection  the  question  of  how  best  to  care  for 
and  keep  macadam  streets  in  repair  presents  itself.  The 
plan  adopted  in  Canada  and  some  of  the  eastern  states  of  di¬ 
viding  a  certain  number  of  miles  of  road  into  sections  of 
two  or  three  miles  each  and  employing  a  man  to  go  over  it 
daily  to  keep  it  clean  and  in  repair  has  many  advantages 
over  the  system  of  allowing  the  street  to  take  care  of  itself 
until  holes  appear  and  then  top-dressing  the  whole  surface 
to  put  it  in  passable  condition.  If  the  system  referred  to, 
now  in  vogue  on  the  railways  of  the  country,  were  adopted 
as  to  the  macadam  streets  of  the  city^,  the  men  employed 


8 


to  do  that  work  could  also  have  devolved  on  them  the  duty 
of  cleaning  the  crosswalks  during  wet  weather,  of  seeing 
to  it  that  the  sidewalks  along  the  street  were  in  good  re¬ 
pair,  and  that  gutters  were  kept  free  of  rubbish  and  in  con¬ 
dition  to  carry  off  the  surface  water.  It  would  seem  as 
though  a  svstem  which  has  given  such  satisfactorv  results 
elsewhere  possesses  merit,  and  it  would  not  be  amiss  to 
give  it  a  trial  here. 

The  tearing  up  of  paved  and  other  streets,  for  the  lay¬ 
ing  of  sewer,  gas  or  water  pipes,  and  the  condition  in  which 
the  streets  are  left  after  the  work  is  said  to  be  finished,  is  a 
source  of  annoyance  to  every  citizen  and  tax-payer  and 
should  receive  immediate  attention.  Every  person  or  cor¬ 
poration  opening  a  street  for  the  purpose  of  laying  pipes 
should  be  required  to  replace  all  the  earth  and  paving  ma¬ 
terial  taken  out,  which  can  be  done  if  properly  tamped 
when  filling  is  begun,  and  on  paved  streets  the  paving  ma¬ 
terial  should  be  kept  separate  and  placed  where  it  was 
found  instead  of  being  mixed  with  earth  and  put,  as  is 
sometimes  the  case,  at  the  bottom  of  the  ditch.  Many  of 
the  law  suits  against  the  city  arise  from  no  other  cause 
than  the  careless  work  referred  to,  and  it  is  suggested  that 
the  license  bond  of  every  person  or  firm  whose  province 
it  is  to  perform  this  class  of  work  be  carefully  examined 
to  the  pecuniary  responsibility  of  the  parties  who  are  sure¬ 
ties,  to  the  end  that  prosecution  against  offending  parties 
may  be  successfully  carried  out.  It  is  time  it  was  plainly 
understood  by  parties  doing  or  having  in  charge  this  class 
of  work,  that  they  must  fix  their  prices  high  enough  to 
enable  them  to  do  first-class  work,  and  that  they  will  be 
held  strictly  accountable  for  any  failure  on  their  part  to 
leave  the  streets  in  as  good  condition  for  travel  after  their 
work  is  done  as  before  they  began.  The  failure  to  guard 
open  ditches  at  night  by  fencing  the  same  and  displaying 
proper  signals  to  warn  travelers  of  danger  is  pointed  out, 


9 


and  the  street  superintendent  and  police  officers  should  be 
alert  and  see  to  it  that  the  parties  neglectful  in  this  direc¬ 
tion  do  their  share  in  keeping  damage  suits  against  the  city 
at  a  minimum.  The  practice  of  tearing  up  three  or  four 
blocks  of  street  late  in  the  fall,  putting  paving  material  on 
one  block  of  the  graded  portion  and  leaving  the  balance  till 
the  following  spring,  neither  pleases  the  residents  on  the 
street  where  the  work  is  being  done,  nor  adds  to  the  ami¬ 
ability  of  those  who  are  of  necessity  required  to  pass  over 
the  unfinished  portion,  and  should  not  be  tolerated,  and 
can  be  avoided  by  a  little  care  at  the  time  of  inviting  bids 
and  making  contracts. 

The  custom  which  has  obtained  to  some  extent  of  leav¬ 
ing  boulders  and  other  unused  material  on  a  paved  street 
two  or  three  months  after  the  work  is  finished,  as  well  as 
the  custom  of  depositing  rubbish  and  dead  animals  at  the 
lake  ends  of  streets,  ought  not  to  be  followed  longer.  The 
streets  are  too  valuable  for  storage  purposes  even  were 
considerations  of  safety,  health  and  beauty  of  no  conse¬ 
quence. 

Perfecting  our  sewerage  system  and  the  disposal  of  the 
sewage  matter  is  to  my  mind  one  of  the  most  important 
questions  engaging  the  attention  of  our  citizens,  and  the 
present  method  of  discharging  sewage  into  the  lakes  must 
be  discontinued  if  the  health  of  the  city  is  to  be  maintained. 
When  the  present  system  was  constructed  flushing  connec¬ 
tions  were  left  at  various  points,  but  these  have  never  been 
continued  to  the  surface  of  the  ground  or  to  points  where 
they  can  be  utilized  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Then  too  it 
was  the  original  intention  to  empty  the  sewers  into  the 
lakes  only  until  such  time  as  the  city  had  means  to  provide 
disposal  works  or  of  chemically  treating  the  sewage  matter 
so  as  to  render  it  harmless.  Any  one  having  doubts  as  to 
the  polution  of  the  waters  of  our  lakes  has  only  to  go  to 
the  foot  of  Broom  or  Blair  streets  on  a  calm  day  and  ob- 


10 


serve  the  dark  streams  discharged  far  out  into  the  lake  by 
main  sewers  at  these  points;  and  in  warm  weather  with 
the  wind  from  the  opposite  shore  the  sewage  matter  may 
be  detected  along  the  shores  of  that  lake  even  if  not  seen. 

What  is  true  of  Third  Lake  applies  to  Fourth  Lake  only 
to  less  extent;  and  it  must  be  apparent  to  all  of  our  citi¬ 
zens  that  the  time  has  come  when  steps  should  be  taken  to 
stop  the  conversion  of  our  lakes  into  cess-pools,  and  render 
them  a  menace  to  the  healthfulness  of  our  citv  instead  of 
a  source  of  pride  and  enjoyment  to  the  people.  It  is  re¬ 
spectfully  suggested  that  the  city  engineer  prepare  plans 
and  specifications  for  sewage  disposal  subject  to  the  ap¬ 
proval  of  an  expert  sanitary  engineer  and  the  local  board 
of  health,  and  that  work  in  that  direction  be  commenced 
as  soon  as  funds  therefor  can  be  procured. 

The  public  schools  of  the  city  are  in  a  healthy  and  har¬ 
monious  condition;  the  attendance  was  never  better,  and 
the  results  of  the  labors  of  school  superintendent,  princi¬ 
pals  and  teachers  was  never  more  apparent  than  now  in  the 
classes  promoted  or  sent  out.  The  facilities  for  the  accom¬ 
modation  of  pupils,  however,  is  not  adequate,  as  the  rooms 
are  overcrowded,  and  the  work  of  the  teacher  is  hampered 
bv  reason  of  inabilitv  to  give  that  individual  attention  to 
each  pupil  which  is  calculated  to  increase  the  class  stand¬ 
ing  and  insure  the  best  results.  The  board  of  education 
has  applied  to  the  legislature  for  authority  to  loan  from 
the  state  $30,000  to  $35,000  with  which  to  build  a  new  five 
or  six  room  school  building  in  the  Sixth  ward  and  adding 
two  rooms  to  the  present  Third  ward  building,  which  though 
it  was  the  last  school  building  put  up  cannot  now  accom¬ 
modate  the  children  of  those  of  our  citizens  whose  conven¬ 
ience  it  would  serve  to  send  pupils  to  that  school.  The 
board  of  education  will  undoubtedly  have  the  hearty  en¬ 
dorsement  of  this  council  in  its  efforts  to  promote  educa¬ 
tion  and  increase  school  facilities. 


11 


The  free  city  library,  in  which  every  citizen  should  feel 
pride,  continues  to  supplement  and  extend  the  work  of  the 
public  school  in  which  it  has  been  engaged  since  its  organ¬ 
ization.  The  means  set  apart  for  its  maintenance  and 
growth  is  too  small  and  should  be  increased  as  soon  as  the 
financial  condition  of  the  city  will  admit,  as  no  other  city 
institution  has  given  to  the  citizens  greater  value  for  the 
money  invested. 

The  matter  of  street  lighting  will  come  up  for  your  con¬ 
sideration.  The  cost  of  lighting  streets  will  of  necessity 
increase  from  year  to  year  as  population  and  the  demand 
for  more  light  increases  unless  more  improved  machinery 
shall  lessen  the  cost  of  production.  The  plan  of  street 
lighting  in  this  city  appears  somewhat  faulty  in  that  it  seems 
to  consult  individual  want  fully  as  much  as  the  public  con¬ 
venience,  and  it  is  therefore  suggested  to  the  committee 
having  that  matter  in  charge,  that  they  thoroughly  revise 
the  present  plan  with  a  view  to  having  a  lesser  number  of 
lamps  do  the  same  work,  and  when  they  have  determined 
on  such  plan  and  it  has  been  approved  by  the  council,  that 
bids  be  invited  for  street  lighting.  If  the  bids  received  be 
considered  too  high,  it  would  be  in  the  interest  of  the  city 
for  the  committee  to  ascertain  from  cities  of  equal  popula¬ 
tion  and  similarly  located  and  owning  and  operating  their 
own  lighting  plant  the  following  facts: 

Cost  of  plant. 

Cost  per  annum  of  maintenance  and  operation. 

Number  of  lights  and  hours  per  night  each  light  is  used. 

Cost  and  kind  of  coal  used. 

Allowing  for  depreciation,  and  a  reasonable  interest  on 
the  investment,  and  taking  into  consideration  the  differ¬ 
ence  in  the  price  of  coal,  the  committee  would  have  facts 
on  which  it  could  make  a  proposition  to  local  companies, 
which  it  seems  to  me  would  receive  favorable  consideration, 
and  in  case  it  did  not  the  council  might  properly  consider 


12 


the  advisability  of  securing’  a  lighting  plant  of  its  own. 
That  there  may  be  no  misunderstanding  of  mv  position  on 
this  subject,  allow  me  to  say  that  I  am  not  in  sympathy 
with  those  who  would  encourage  citizens  and  tax-payers 
of  the  city  to  invest  money  in  an  enterprise,  be  it  electric 
lighting  or  street  railway,  and  would  then  deliberately  con¬ 
fiscate  or  depreciate  that  property  by  adverse  legislation 
or  ruinous  competition  on  the  part  of  the  city;  but  the 
sentiment  that  the  city  should  get  its  street  lighting  at  cost 
and  a  fair  interest  has  mv  approval.  The  chartering  of  a 
street  railway  or  street  lighting  plant  by  a  municipality  is 
questionable  if  the  city  has  means  to  embark  in  these  en¬ 
terprises  on  its  own  account;  but  having  encouraged  its 
own  tax-pavers  to  invest  money  in  such  enterprises  by 
granting  franchises  to  them,  it  should  be  just  and  not  ex¬ 
pect  them  to  furnish  their  products  or  facilities  to  the  city 
at  less  than  cost  and  a  fair  interest  on  the  investment. 

The  fire  department  is  an  harmonious  and  efficient  branch 
of  the  city’s  public  service,  and  my  knowledge  and  observa¬ 
tion  leads  me  to  believe  that  a  better  unpaid  fire  depart¬ 
ment  does  not  exist  in  Wisconsin;  and  that  it  should  be 
equipped  and  its  usefulness  extended  by  the  introduction  of 
a  fire-alarm  system  is  what  the  members  of  this  council 
and  tax-payers  generally  will  concede.  Such  a  system 
should  be  added  to  the  department  during  the  present  year, 
if  it  can  possibly  be  done  with  the  means  that  will  be  at 
the  disposal  of  this  council;  for  who  can  conceive  of  any¬ 
thing  more  discouraging  to  a  good  fireman  than  to  be  called 
to  the  engine-house  by  a  fire  alarm,  and  get  out  into  the 
street  with  his  company,  only  to  find  for  the  next  three 
minutes  that  the  fire  seems  to  be  in  seven  different  wards 
of  the  city  while  actually  existing  in  but  one. 

The  city  water  system  is  in  efficient  hands  and  continues 
to  find  favor  with  the  people.  The  patrons  of  the  system 
now  number  1,554,  and  the  total  cost  of  the  system  to  Oc- 


13 


tober  1,  1892,  was  $241,118.29.  The  receipts  for  water 
rents  and  permits  for  the  year  ending  October  1,  1892, 
were  $15,330.83,  and  the  operating  expenses  for  the  corre¬ 
sponding  period  were  $8,872.57.  Our  predecessors  in  office 
failed  to  provide  in  the  last  annual  tax  levy  the  usual  fund 
with  which  to  make  improvements  and  extensions,  so  that 
at  the  present  time  there  is  not  a  dollar  in  the  water  fund 
with  which  to  pay  for  an  additional  well,  now  being  sunk 
to  increase  the  failing  water  supply,  or  to  lay  mains  to  sup- 
pi}7  water  to  those  who  have  petitioned  therefor.  What 
steps  the  water  board  contemplate  taking  or  can  take  un¬ 
der  the  law  to  tide  over  their  financial  difficulties  is  not 
known,  but  whatever  assistance  this  council  can  give  should 
be  freely  rendered. 

The  citizens  of  Madison  are  not  only  to  be  congratulated 
on  the  excellent  electric  street  railway  system  chartered 
and 'built  during  the  past  year,  which  has  displaced  the 
pondering  mule  and  his  energetic  exhorter  to  duty,  but  also 
on  the  efficient  management  and  courteous  attention  to  pa¬ 
trons  which  has  been  accorded  on  the  part  of  superintendent, 
conductors  and  motormen.  Few  of  us  are  willing  to  admit 
that  we  were  ever  fully  satisfied  to  ride  after  the  slow- 
going  mule,  nor  do  we  realize  how  easy  it  is  to  fall  into 
temptation  until  we  see  one  of  the  nice,  clean  cars  of  the 
new  system  approaching  and  instinctively  put  our  hand 
pi  pocket  for  the  requisite  nickel.  It  seems  a  satisfactory 
system,  as  now  managed,  and  contributes  greatly  to  the 
comfort  and  convenience  of  those  living  remote  from  the 
city’s  center,  and  will,  under  just  treatment  and  fair  patron¬ 
age,  budd  up  and  enhance  suburban  property.  The  com¬ 
pany,  however,  should  not  fail  to  merit  a  continuance  of 
the  public  good  will  and  should  be  watchful  that  the 
streets  occupied  by  its  tracks  are  kept  in  repair  to  the  ex¬ 
tent  that  such  duty  is  required  of  them  in  their  franchise. 

The  Madison  Improvement  Association,  created  for  the 


14 


purpose  of  further  beautifying  the  city  and  advancing  its 
interests,  has  been  organized  and  is  prepared  for  active  work 
with  the  gratifying  sum  of  $11,000  (subscribed  by  citizens 
who  have  only  the  city’s  good  in  view)  with  which  to 
carry  out  the  purpose  of  its  being.  This  organization,  as 
well  as  others  having  the  good  of  Madison  as  their  only 
aim  and  purpose,  will,  it  is  believed,  enlist  your  hearty  co¬ 
operation  and  encouragement,  and  its  officers  and  commit¬ 
tees  will  undoubtedly  receive  respectful  attention  at  your 
hands.  In  order  that  they  may  counsel  with  us  as  to  our 
work,  and  to  the  end  that  we  may  become  better  acquainted 
with  their  views  on  all  questions  in  which  we  are  mutually 
interested,  I  hope  to  see  them  often  at  our  meetings. 

In  conclusion,  I  trust  that  our  meetings  will  be  harmoni¬ 
ous;  that  our  attendance  upon  them  may  be  prompt;  and 
that  in  the  discharge  of  my  duties  I  shall  have  your  undi¬ 
vided  support,  as  you  will  have  my  hearty  co-operation  in 
all  matters  proposed  for  the  public  interest. 

JOHN  CORSCOT. 


